Chapter 33: Second Test

"Kill him? Just like that?" Qingling was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected the test to be so simple. It was even easier than playing games with Wu Dahai.

Gao Yang was also surprised. He thought it was simple, too, simple enough to make him suspicious.

"Yes," the White Rabbit said, looking at them. "It's easy, right? Cut off his head, or stab his heart with a sharp object. It's just like killing someone."

"Killing him is easy, but what about the aftermath?" Qingling had her concerns.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," the White Rabbit said, lightly tapping the walkie-talkie at her waist, signaling that she had backup and everything was under control.

Qingling hesitated no more and walked toward Niu Xuan, a sharp small dagger appearing in her hand.

She crouched down, cut open Niu Xuan's shirt, found the spot where his heart was, and placed the tip of the knife against his lightly rising chest. Just as the knife tip was about to pierce his heart, Gao Yang called out, "Wait!"

Qingling stopped and looked at him in confusion.

"Qingling, wait for a moment," Gao Yang said.

The White Rabbit also looked at Gao Yang. "What's wrong? You don't want to join our organization anymore?"

"No," Gao Yang asked cautiously, "I just don't understand. Why do we have to kill him? He hasn't even transformed into a beast." And how are you so sure Niu Xuan is a Lost One? Gao Yang didn't ask the last question, as he assumed the other party must have some hidden ability.

"There is no 'why.' Killing beasts doesn't need a reason," the White Rabbit replied casually. "If I had to give a reason, our organization needs decisive, strong-willed, and combat-capable awakeners. We don't need people who feel sympathy or pity for beasts."

"He's just a Lost One," the White Rabbit stepped forward, kicking Niu Xuan's unconscious body. "If you don't want to kill him, we can choose another. Hmm, I think that girl, Wan Sisi, likes you, right? I can check if she's a Lost One. If she is, we can just kill her."

Gao Yang was secretly alarmed by her keen observation.

"Have you made up your mind?" the White Rabbit urged.

Gao Yang fell silent.

He wasn't some saint. Someone like Niu Xuan, if he died, so be it; it had nothing to do with him. Besides, he wasn't even human—just a Lost Beast.

But there were a few things that caught his attention.

First, the White Rabbit's words: "Kill this Lost One."

She could have just said "kill this beast." Why emphasize that he was a Lost One? This at least suggested that her organization treated Lost Ones (mindless beasts) differently from other beasts.

Under normal logic, other beasts, except for the mindless ones, are dangerous, and awakeners would definitely treat them as a threat to be eliminated. So, if the attitude toward mindless beasts was different, it likely meant the opposite—don't eliminate them.

The White Rabbit said this was a test, but to Gao Yang, it seemed more like a choice.

Faced with the "innocent" Lost One, the White Rabbit had been subtly guiding him.

— "He's just a Lost One."

This sentence was diminishing and devaluing the Lost One's existence.

Then, the White Rabbit brought up killing Wan Sisi as a "threat." This was a common manipulation technique: on one side, the cute and pure Wan Sisi, and on the other, the cruel Niu Xuan.

Which one was the greater threat was very clear.

It was like a trick used between couples: the wife first tells her husband she wants a 20,000-yuan handbag, then later mentions she wants a 300-yuan skirt. After weighing both, the husband buys the skirt without hesitation.

The White Rabbit's behavior now was pushing them to make a decision right away: kill Niu Xuan.

If they killed Niu Xuan without hesitation, it would prove at least two things. One, they believed Lost Ones could be killed. Two, they thought there should be a difference in how Lost Ones were treated.

These two points contradicted each other.

Disregarding the life of a beast meant that, in the eyes of these people, beasts had no "right to life." But for creatures with no "right to life," they were treating them differently. It felt like… my own cat can't be killed, but other people's cats can be killed at will. It was a double standard.

"If you don't want to kill, I'll assume you give up," the White Rabbit glanced at her watch. "There's not much time left. I need some space for cleanup."

Take a chance, and the bicycle could turn into a motorcycle.

Gao Yang made up his mind. "I refuse."

"What?" The White Rabbit thought she misheard.

"We don't kill Lost Ones," Gao Yang said firmly.

Qingling shot him a glare. "Are you crazy?"

Gao Yang blinked at her. "Trust me! This is a trap!"

"No way," the White Rabbit couldn't help but laugh. "Young man, I advise you not to be too clever. Too much passion can be toxic. Don't watch those comics too much. This is your only chance. I'm just going through the process. If you miss it, the doors of the organization won't open for you again. Think carefully."

"I've thought it through. We won't kill them," Gao Yang said.

"OK," the White Rabbit spread her hands, looking at Qingling. "That kid's out. How about you?"

Qingling thought for a moment, and the dagger in her hand disappeared. She decided to trust Gao Yang. Experience told her: this kid had good luck, and at least he hadn't screwed her over so far.

The White Rabbit sighed in regret. "You two have pretty good qualities, and your serial numbers are quite high. What a pity. Can I ask, why don't you want to kill Lost Ones?"

Huh?

What? Didn't pass? Did she really misinterpret the situation?

Gao Yang suddenly regretted his decision, but it was too late to back out now. He racked his brain for an answer, eventually coming up with something: "Because… of order."

"Order?"

"I believe this world has its own order. Randomly killing Lost Ones would disrupt the order," Gao Yang said seriously, without blinking an eye.

The White Rabbit seemed to be thinking it over.

It seemed that wasn't convincing enough. Gao Yang quickly decided to add another line: "Ignorance, greed, anger, delusion, life, and death—all are illusory. Life is short, a big dream."

The girl with the White Rabbit mask seemed a bit surprised. She quickly stepped forward, stood in front of Gao Yang, slightly tiptoed, tilted her head, and stared into his eyes.

Through the White Rabbit mask, Gao Yang saw a pair of clear and adorable almond-shaped eyes.

"Sure enough, you have the same look as the captain," the White Rabbit's tone softened a bit.

"What look?" Gao Yang asked.

"Uh," the White Rabbit thought for a moment, "It looks like you're listless and haven't woken up, but there's something particularly profound about your eyes."

Gao Yang thought to himself: just say I have dead fish eyes.

"People with this kind of look, are they all very strong?" The White Rabbit looked at Qingling.

"I don't know."

"You even said something similar to the captain," the White Rabbit stepped forward and patted Gao Yang's shoulder. "Alright, you've passed the test."

"Oh."

Gao Yang remained expressionless, but if he had a tail, he would surely be wagging it—he made the right call!

The White Rabbit turned around and kicked Niu Xuan, who was still unconscious.

"The rules are set by our captain. There are only three, remember them."

"One, never kill humans proactively."

"Two, never kill Lost Ones proactively."

"Three, never engage in office romance."

"Violators will be permanently expelled from the organization."

"…" Gao Yang thought he misheard. The first two rules sounded grand, but what was the last one about? No wonder Wu Dahai was so thirsty, but even if office romance was allowed, that guy probably wouldn't be liked by anyone.

"Have we joined the organization now?" Qingling asked.

"Not yet. You're still in the trial period. To become official, there's one final test," the White Rabbit reached into her pants pocket, took out a small object, and gently threw it to Qingling, who caught it and examined it. It was an old-fashioned brass key.

"Find the door this key opens, and go take a look," the White Rabbit said.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," the White Rabbit calmly repeated.

"Let me see." Gao Yang took the brass key from Qingling's hand and immediately felt a chilling sensation spread through his fingertips. He wasn't sure if his heightened perception was enhancing his sixth sense or if it was just psychological, but he tightened his grip on the key. "But where do we find the door?"

The White Rabbit extended a finger. "I'll give you one more hint. The area is confined to the Qing Mountain District."

"Any other hints?" Gao Yang wanted more useful information.

"Let me think," the White Rabbit stroked her chin. "Be careful, don't die."